Guest Artist~ Mary Parks

Hello ChinDeep friends! I am so pleased and honored to introduce this week’s Guest Artist, Mary Parks! She is an amazingly talented woman who creates gorgeous textile and yarn offerings. You will SO enjoy visiting her Etsy Shop!

Mary Parks

Artist Bio~
I am a former art museum curator who took to the road and landed – happily – at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota.

My creations are largely influenced by the beauty, quality and simplicity of the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th century.

I believe that we can nourish our souls by adding beauty to our every day lives. To that end, I love to create practical things – including purses, totes, pillows and knitting needle cases – from gorgeous, high-quality materials.

When I am not busy with my magical creations, I am usually outside playing with my family – or enjoying my job at the local public library.

– the bit from my blog:
“skrapyram is Mary Parks: a former art museum curator who took to the road and landed happily in a small town at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Lately she spends her days working at the local library, building a house, and raising a son (her husband helps out with some of that stuff). With any time that’s left over, skrapyram gardens, knits, bakes, sews and reads.”

– some random factoids:
-skrapyram = Mary Parks, spelled backwards
BA in art history from U of M, MA in management from St. Mary’s University of MN
She worked at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for 7 years as Assistant Registrar for Exhibitions, 3 years at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art as Collection Curator. Sold everything, bought a 4 wheel drive RV and hit the road. Traveled mainly in the American Southwest, but ended up in Ely about 5 years ago.
Bought 5 acres north of Ely and built a house – it’s still under construction, but we moved in about 3 months ago.

Some of Mary’s beautiful art~

Bungalow Bag

Knitting Needle Case

pillows

zipper bags

yarn roses

Thank you, Mary, for the gorgeous art and for being a guest artist on ChinDeep!

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8 comments for “Guest Artist~ Mary Parks”

Elisabeth

December 17, 2010 at 11:03 am

Mary’s bags are beautiful to have, to hold, to cherish, to give away to special folks! What elevates Mary’s work is the quality of the work. I carry a small pillow around from chair to chair as I knit during the day: perfect for propping up tired feet!

I guess one of these days I will have to round-up the collections we have…Because not only do I have Sandy’s Sweet Nothings(c) aprons that were also sold at the Mouse, Rochester, but as you know, we have quilts, quilted bags (as one was featured on public television a couple of years ago) and Designs by Lewyelln(c) that are oriental satin pillows, velvet pillows, tapestry pillows and Victorian shabby chic tote bags that were also featured at the Nest in Lake City…They were initially introduced at Ambiance, LaCrosse, WI that is now closed…The line was very well known on Clearwater Beach in Florida as well….The designer is my mother….Thank you!